Split lens and camera module and electronic apparatus

ABSTRACT

A split lens includes a first lens group including a first set of lenses, a second lens group including a second set of lenses, and at least one light shielding element. The light shielding element is disposed between the lens at the bottom position of the first lens group and the lens at the top position of the second lens group, such that a predetermined light path is formed between the first lens group and the second lens group, thereby conforming to the structure of the split lens.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a camera lens arrangement, and moreparticularly to a split lens being incorporated in a camera module of asmart device.

Description of Related Arts

The performance of a camera product directly relates to a quality of anoptical lens configuration. In other words, making a good qualityoptical lens is a major factor for manufacturing a high performance ofthe camera product in the camera industry. In the field of cameraphotography, optical lens research and development is one of the mostimportant industry trends for the leading camera manufacturers. With thepopularity of smart mobile devices, the design and development ofoptical lenses have encountered more challenges.

Smart mobile devices, especially smartphones, Internet-enabled tablets,laptops, service terminals, and portable identification devices, becomedaily necessary products which are incorporated with a camera module.The camera module is directly assembled into the such devices to form animage sensing device. It is worth mentioning that the performance of thecamera module is as good as the performance of a professional cameradevice. Therefore, the requirement and expectation of the camera moduleis getting higher and higher.

Obviously, the most effective way is to improve from the lens of thecamera module, wherein the major component that affects the resolutionand quality of the camera module is a lens thereof. Accordingly, aconventional camera generally comprises a plurality of optical lensessequentially stacked with each other and mounted in a lens barrel. Whentwo or more lens barrels are assembled together, a complete opticalmodule is formed via an optical transmission relationship between everytwo of the optical lenses in the lens barrels. However, there are somedeficients or tolerances during the assembling operation of the opticallenses due to the eccentricity and tilting of the optical lenses, whichwill result in lower the resolution of the optical module. In additionto the tolerance between every two of the optical lenses in each lensbarrel, there are also some tolerances between every two of the lensbarrels during the assembling operation of the optical module. It isdifficult to fix or correct such tolerances after the assemblingoperation of the optical module is completed. Furthermore, it is a wasteof material due to the high failure rate and low production rate of theoptical module.

A lens spacer must be added in each lens barrel in order to enhance thedesign and performance of the optical system. Accordingly, the lensspacer affects not only the focal length, intercept and discriminationrate of the optical ability, but also the resolution of the opticalmodule. Furthermore, the structural configuration of the lens spaceralso affects by the diameter difference between two correspondingoptical lenses and their aperture sizes. The existing manufacturingprocess of the optical module requires good design and simulation of thelens spacer and precise assembling step of the lens spacer. In otherwords, the lens spacer must provide a uniform optical spacing, aneffective optical aperture, and precise optical axial alignment toguarantee the quality of the optical module. In order to ensure theimaging quality of the optical module, the optical module must providean excellent light shielding environment thereof to prevent any externallight entering into the optical module so as to minimize any externalstray light.

Furthermore, the increasing number of optical lenses is adapted for thehigh pixel camera modules. In other words, the overall height of thecamera module will be increased by the increasing number of opticallenses. On the other hand, the camera module is designed and developedin a thinner and compact manner. Due to the highly development of thecamera module technology, an improvement of each component in the cameramodule is crucial. For example, the lens spacer is indispensable in theconventional camera module, and will occupies a certain installationspace in the camera module. Accordingly, the lens spacer is made of softmaterial and is sandwiched between two optical lenses. The lens spaceris difficult to mount at the lens barrel in order to fix and retain theposition of the lens spacer.

It is to the provision of a camera module to enhance the performance ofthe camera module, to improve the yield and production efficiency of thecamera module, and to minimize the production costs of the cameramodule.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

An advantageous of the invention is to provide a lens split, whichcomprises a plurality of lens groups and a light shielding elementdisposed between two of the lens groups to block the light into the lenssplit through the gap between two lens groups and to form apredetermined light path of the lens split.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, whereinthe light shielding element is configured to match with the structuraldesign of the split lens, so as to replace the incompatibility of theconventional spacer in the split lens.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, whereinthe light shielding element is attached to a surface of the lens groupto reduce the overall height of the lens groups and to prevent thedeformation of the conventional spacer caused by the small and unstablebearing surface.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, which isconfigured to dispose the light shielding element between two lensgroups for improving the performance of the split lens and reducing thedesigning cost of the split lens. Thus, the configuration of the lenssplit is able to reduce the assembling difficulty level and to minimizethe production cost of the lens split.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, wherein,by simplifying the assembling of the lens groups and using the activealignment process, the performance of the split lens can be furtherenhanced when applying to the camera module.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, wherein,by simplifying the assembling and design of the light shielding elementbetween two lenses, the split lens is able to achieve good integrity andconsistency and is beneficial to optical axis calibration.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, whereineach of two lens groups has a retention portion being coupled with eachother in different connection configurations, so as to assemble the twolens groups together in a stable and reliable manner.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, whereinthe lens and the light shielding element are mounted to the lens groupto minimize assembling tolerance of the lens to the lens barrel, toenhance the production efficiency and to minimize the material wasteduring the assembling process.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, whereinwhen the two lens groups are installed, the retention portions thereofare configured to minimize the assembling tolerance so as to ensure theoverall consistency of the split lens after it is assembled.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, which canconnect two lens groups reliably, minimize the assembling tolerancebetween the lens barrels, and greatly improve the production efficiency.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, whereinthe retention portions of the lens groups are suitable for variousconnection configurations, such that the retention portions can beselected and used for connecting the lens groups in different lensconfigurations.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, which canenhance the quality of the lens group to ensure optical spacing,effective aperture, and optical axis uniformity.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, which hashigh design flexibility to fit the needs of the lens group, so as toensure the quality of the camera module.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, whichmeets the optical performance requirements for different lensconfigurations. The light shielding element and the retention portionare incorporated to make the optical relationship between the two lensgroups more stable and reliable.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, which canenhance the alignment assembly between the lenses to form a compactstructure so as to form an integrated split lens.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, whereinthe light shielding element can be partially or entirely coated on thelens to simplify the assembling process of the lens group.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a lens split, whereinthe spacing element and the light shielding element are selectively usedfor providing a diversified solution for different lens designrequirements of the lens group.

According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects andadvantages are attained by a split lens comprising: at least a firstlens group comprising at least a first lens set and a first lens barrel,wherein the first lens set is mounted in the first lens barrel; at leasta second lens group comprising at least a second lens set and a secondlens barrel, wherein the second lens set is mounted in the second lensbarrel; and at least a light shielding element disposed between a bottomsurface of the first lens set and a top surface of the second lens setto form a predetermined light path between the first lens group and thesecond lens group when the first lens group and the second lens groupare stably assembled together.

In one embodiment, one of the light shielding elements is disposed onthe top surface of the lens at an upper position of the second lens set.

In one embodiment, one of the light shielding elements is disposed onthe top surface of the lens at a bottom position of the first lens set.

In one embodiment, three of the light shielding elements of the splitlens are respectively disposed on the bottom surfaces of three lenses ofthe first group set, and the two of the light shielding elements arerespectively disposed on the top surfaces of two lenses of the secondlens set.

In one embodiment, the light shielding element is disposed between twoadjacent lenses which are located at the first lens group and the secondlens group respectively in the split lens.

In one embodiment, at least one of the light shielding elements isdisposed between two adjacent lenses which are located at the first lensgroup and the second lens group respectively in the split lens.

In one embodiment, the light shielding element of the split lens isdisposed on the bottom surface of the lens at the upper position. Inother words, in response to two adjacent lenses of the first lens setand the second lens set as an upper lens and a bottom lens respectively,the light shielding element is disposed on a bottom surface of the upperlens at an upper position.

In one embodiment, the light shielding element of the split lens isdisposed on the top surface of the lens at the bottom position. In otherwords, in response to two adjacent lenses of the first lens set and thesecond lens set as an upper lens and a bottom lens respectively, thelight shielding element is disposed on a top surface of the bottom lens.

In one embodiment, the split lens further comprises at least one spacingelement disposed between the two lenses of at least one of the firstlens set and the second lens set to fulfill the requirements for thelens in an optical design.

In one embodiment, the first lens group and the second lens group of thesplit lens are assembled through an active calibration.

In one embodiment, the first lens barrel further comprises a firstretention portion, and the second lens barrel further comprises a secondretention portion, wherein the first retention portion and the secondretention portion are connected with each other, such that the firstlens barrel and the second lens barrel are assembled to form anintegrated lens configuration.

In one embodiment, a diameter of the bottom end portion of the firstlens barrel is smaller than a diameter of the top end portion of thesecond lens barrel, such that the first retention portion of the firstlens barrel is configured to fit into the second retention portion ofthe second lens barrel so as to stably couple the first lens barrel withthe second lens barrel.

In one embodiment, the first retention portion is defined at the bottomend portion of the first lens barrel, the second retention portion isdefined at the top end portion of the second lens barrel, wherein thefirst retention portion and the second retention portion are connectedwith each other via the connecting element so as to securely couple thefirst lens barrel and the second lens barrel with each other.

In one embodiment, the first retention portion is defined at the bottomend portion of the first lens barrel having an increased diameter,wherein the bottom lateral side of the first retention portion isadhesively affixed to the top side of the second retention portion.

In one embodiment, the outer side of the first retention portion isadhesively affixed to the top side of the second retention portion.

In one embodiment, the second lens barrel further has a retention grooveformed at the top side of the second lens barrel corresponding to thefirst retention portion of the first lens barrel, wherein the connectingelement is filled in the retention groove to couple the first retentionportion and the second retention portion with each other.

In one embodiment, the first retention portion is protruded from anouter lateral side of the first lens barrel, wherein the secondretention portion is formed at the top end portion of the second lensbarrel. The first retention portion and the second retention portion areconnected with each other at a position that the bottom end portion ofthe first lens barrel is extended into the second retention portion forconnecting the first lens barrel and the second lens barrel with eachother so as to form an integrated lens configuration.

In one embodiment, the bottom side of the first retention portion isbonded to a top lateral side of the second retention portion byadhesive.

In one embodiment, the retention groove is formed at the top side of thesecond retention portion for accommodating at least one connectingelement to bond the second retention portion with the first retentionportion.

In one embodiment, the light shielding element of the split lens is acoating layer.

In one embodiment, the light shielding element of the split lens is ablack rubber layer.

In one embodiment, the first lens set of the split lens is constructedto have three lenses, and the second lens set is constructed to havethree lenses.

In one embodiment, the light shielding element of the split lens isformed by one of the methods of coating, spraying, and silk screenprinting.

In one embodiment, the lens at the bottom position of the first lensgroup is bonded to the inner surface of the first lens barrel by atleast one connecting element via adhesive.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the presentinvention comprises a camera module incorporating with the split lens toform an electronic apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a split lens according to a firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a split lens according to a secondpreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a split lens according to a thirdpreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a sectional view of a split lens according to a fourthpreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4B illustrates an alternative mode of the split lens according tothe above fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a split lens according to a fifthpreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the split lens according tothe above fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a camera module incorporating with thesplit lens of the above embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of another camera module incorporating withthe split lens of the above embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates an electronic apparatus incorporating with the cameramodule.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following description is disclosed to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the present invention. Preferred embodiments areprovided in the following description only as examples and modificationswill be apparent to those skilled in the art. The general principlesdefined in the following description would be applied to otherembodiments, alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and applicationswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is appreciated that the terms “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “upper”,“lower”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, vertical”, “horizontal”,“top”, “bottom”, “exterior”, and “interior” in the following descriptionrefer to the orientation or positioning relationship in the accompanyingdrawings for easy understanding of the present invention withoutlimiting the actual location or orientation of the present invention.Therefore, the above terms should not be an actual location limitationof the elements of the present invention.

It is appreciated that the terms “one”, “a”, and “an” in the followingdescription refer to “at least one” or “one or more” in the embodiment.In particular, the term “a” in one embodiment may refer to “one” whilein another embodiment may refer to “more than one”. Therefore, the aboveterms should not be an actual numerical limitation of the elements ofthe present invention.

A conventional lens structure, especially being used in camera module,is commonly configured in a stable and uniform manner by stacking aplurality of lenses in a lens barrel. When there are not many lenses,such as two or three lenses, the assembling tolerance of the lensstructure is relatively small. For the camera module with high pixel andhigh image quality, the number of lenses will be increased. In otherwords, the assembling tolerance of the lens structure is relativelyhigh. Therefore, the conventional lens structure is not suitable for andnot acceptable for the high performance camera module. Accordingly, thepresent invention provides a split lens which comprises a plurality oflens groups being assembled together, wherein each of the lens groupscomprises a plurality of lenses assembled together. Therefore, each lensgroup is constructed to have less number of lenses to minimize theassembling tolerance of the split lens. On the other hand, the totalnumber of lenses will be increased via the assembling of the lensgroups. As a result, the split lens provides a higher pixel with lessassembling tolerance by using Active Alignment (AA) method during theassembling process to assemble the multi-lens groups. The assemblingtolerance between the lens groups will also be reduced to provide abetter optical consistency of the split lens.

The present invention provides a split lens which comprises a pluralityof lens groups, wherein each of the lens groups comprises a plurality oflenses. Accordingly, the lenses are assembled to form each lens group,wherein the lens groups are assembled together to form the split lens.During the assembling operation of each of the lens groups of the splitlens, the relative positions of the lens groups are adjustable tominimize the overall assembling tolerance of the split lens so as toincorporate with the camera module with high resolution. Furthermore,the present invention further provides a light shielding element havingan annular shape disposed between every two of the lens groups forblocking light entering through a gap between two lens groups so as toform a light path within the lens groups. The light shielding element isconfigured to incorporate with the split lens to adapt for the lensgroups, so as to solve the existing problems of the lens spacer ofdifficult installation, instability and deformation. Furthermore, thelight shielding element can be disposed above the lens at the bottomposition of the lens group. Alternatively, the light shielding elementcan be disposed below the lens at the upper portion of the lens group.Furthermore, the light shielding element can be attached to the lens bycoating, spraying silk screening, etc, such as applying black glue. Forexample, the light shielding element can be applied at a bottom surfaceof the lens at the bottom position of the upper lens group and/or at atop surface of the lens at the upper position of the bottom lens group,wherein the light shielding element is arranged for blocking stray lightto the lens groups so as to form a predetermined light path of the lensgroups. The light shielding element cooperates with the structure of thesplit lens to achieve the assembly of the independent and individuallens groups, and to prevent any interference of the side stray light ofthe entire split lens.

For easy understanding, the description and drawings disclose a simpleststructure of the split lens which is constructed to have two lens groupsas an example, wherein the two lens groups are a first lens group and asecond lens group. It should be appreciated that the split lens may beconstructed to have more than two lens groups, such as three or more,and it should not be limited in the present invention.

Accordingly, the split lens of the present invention comprises a firstlens group 10, a second lens group 20, and at least a light shieldingassembly 30. The first lens group 10 comprises a first lens set 11 and afirst lens barrel 12, while the second lens group 20 comprises a secondlens group 21 and a second lens barrel 22. The first lens set 11 ismounted in the first lens barrel 12. The second lens set 21 is mountedin the second lens barrel 22. It is worth mentioning that the lightshielding assembly 30 comprises a light blocking element 32 disposedbetween the first lens group 10 and the second lens group 20 tolight-shield a connection between the first lens group 10 and the secondlens group 20 for blocking the external light entering into the splitlens and to form a predetermined light path between the first lens group10 and the second lens group 20. The first lens group 10 and the secondlens group 20 are assembled together to form the split lens at aposition that the first lens group 10 is located above the second lensgroup 20, such that the first lens group 10 is embodied as an upper lensgroup while the second lens group 20 is embodied as a bottom lens group.Preferably, the first lens group 10 and the second lens group 20 areassembled to form the split lens with a stepping shape. It isappreciated that the first lens group 10 and the second lens group 20are assembled to form a camera module. As shown in FIG. 1 , the firstlens set 11 of the first lens group 10 further comprises a first lens111, a second lens 112, and a third lens 113. The second lens set 21 ofthe second lens group 20 further comprises a fourth lens 211, a fifthlens 212, and a sixth lens 213. It should be understood that, in thepreferred embodiment, the number of lenses in the first lens set 11 andthe second lens set 21 should not be limited in the present invention,wherein the number of lenses can be varied according to the requirementsof different camera modules. For easy understanding, the lenses in thesplit lens are named as the first lens 111, the second lens 112 and thethird lens 113 mounted in the first lens barrel 12, wherein the firstlens 111 and the third lens 113 are located at the upper and bottompositions respectively while the second lens 112 is located between thefirst lens 111 and the third lens 113. The fourth lens 211, the fifthlens 212 and the sixth lens 213 are mounted in the second lens barrel22, wherein the fourth lens 211 and the sixth lens 213 are located atthe upper and bottom positions respectively while the fifth lens 212 islocated between the fourth lens 211 and the sixth lens 213.

It can be understood that, in the embodiment of the present invention,the split lens is constructed with two lens groups as an example. Inother modified embodiments, the split lens may also include more thantwo lens groups. The light shielding element is disposed between twoadjacent lens groups to prevent side light from entering the split lens.

Furthermore, according to the preferred embodiment, the light shieldingelement 32 is disposed at a top surface of the lens at an upper positionof the bottom lens set. Particularly, the light shielding element 32,having an annular shape, is attached to the top surface of the fourthlens 211 of the second lens group 20, such that a peripheral edgeportion of the fourth lens 211 is covered by the light shielding element32 to form a light blocking portion so as to form a predetermined lightpath at a center portion of the fourth lens 211. Therefore, the lightfrom the first lens group 10 can pass through the center portion of thefourth lens 211 along the light path thereof. It is worth mentioningthat since the light shielding element 32 is disposed at a positionbetween the first lens group 10 and the second lens group 20, the lightshielding element 32 is able to block the light entering into aconnection between the first lens group 10 and the second lens group 20so as to prevent any light entering to the light path in the split lens.Preferably, the light shielding element 32 can be an adhesive layer,such as an adhesive layer formed by coating, spraying, silk screening,or the like, or an adhesive layer formed by pasting manner. Preferably,the light shielding element 32 can be a black rubber adhesive layer,such as a ring-shaped black rubber adhesive film.

It is worth mentioning that the split lens further comprises an opticalcomponent, such as a spacer, disposed between the first lens group 10and the second lens group 20 of the split lens, such that the light pathis formed between the first lens between the first lens group 10 and thesecond lens group 20 to prevent stray light. In other words, at leastone optical component is formed between the lens at the bottom position(i.e. the third lens 113) of the first lens group 10 and the lens at theupper position (i.e. the fourth lens 211) of the second lens group 20.However, the conventional spacer mounting method is to sandwich thespacer between two adjacent lenses, and the material is light and thin.Therefore, when the optical component is used as the conventionalspacer, the bottom side of the first lens group 10 cannot provide anysuitable mounting space for the spacer while the second lens group 20also cannot provide any suitable mounting space for the spacer. In oneembodiment as an example, the spacer can only coupled at the top surfaceof the fourth lens 211, wherein a bottom side of the spacer is supportedby the fourth lens 211 while a top side of the spacer cannot be fixed orretained, such that the conventional spacer is not fit for the splitlens of the present invention. According to the preferred embodiment,the light shielding element 32 is attached to the lens at the bottomposition (the third lens 113) of the first lens group 10 or is attachedto the lens at the upper position (the fourth lens 211) of the secondlens group 20. Then, the predetermined light path is formed between thefirst lens group 10 and the second lens group 20 without incorporatingwith any conventional spacer in a clamping manner.

The lens at the bottom position of the first lens group 10 refers to thethird lens 113. The lenses can be mounted in the first lens barrel 12 bymeans of interference fit. Alternatively, the lenses can be mounted inthe first lens barrel 12 by laser welding, ultrasonic welding or thelike. In one embodiment, adhesive is applied at a peripheral edge of thelens to reinforce the position thereof. Particularly, the first lensbarrel 12 further has a reinforcing groove formed at an inner side of abottom portion thereof, wherein a bonding element 41, such as adhesive,is received in the reinforcing groove to retain and fix the third lens113 at the bottom portion of the first lens barrel 12. The bondingelement can be UV glue, thermosetting glue, UV thermosetting glue, andetc.

Preferably, in some embodiments, the reinforcing groove is symmetricallydistributed between the inner side surface of the first lens barrel 12and the third lens 113 to retain the third lens 113 in position byevenly distributing a holding force thereto so as to prevent any unevendeformation of the bonding element 41. It is worth mentioning that thebonding element 41 may be thermally expanded its size, as an example, tocreate the uneven holding force to dislocate the third lens 113.

The reinforcing groove can be configured in different shapes accordingto requirements, such as a wedge shape, a triangle shape, a trapezoidshape, a rectangular shape and the like. Two or more reinforcing groovescan be configured to space apart or to form a continuous connectinggroove. In other words, the reinforcing grooves can form an integralannular groove that the integral annular groove can be configured tohave different shapes and different cross sections.

Preferably, a depth of the reinforcing groove is smaller than athickness of the peripheral edge of the third lens 113 to prevent anygap formed between the reinforcing groove and the top edge of the thirdlens 113, such that the bonding element 41 can be filled in the gap intothe interior of the reinforcing groove. Therefore, the bonding element41 will not leak at the top edge of the third lens 113.

In one embodiment and drawings thereof of the present invention, each ofthe reinforcing grooves has a trapezoidal cross section, wherein thereare four reinforcing grooves symmetrically formed at the inner side ofthe lens barrel. In other embodiments of the present invention, thereinforcing groove and the corresponding bonding element 41 can beconfigured to have other shapes and other quantities, such as three,five, and five or above. It should not be limited in the presentinvention.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, thelight shielding unit further comprises at least a spacing element 31. Inone embodiment, the spacing element 31 is a spacer. It is worthmentioning that the spacing element 31 has an annular shape and is madeof opaque material. In other words, the spacing element 31 and the lightshielding element 32 constitute a spacer assembly respectively disposedbetween adjacent lenses to form a predetermined light path for the splitlens.

The light shielding element 32 is coated on the surface of the lens,wherein since the light shielding element 32 is made of opaque material,the light shielding element 32 will block the light from passing throughthe surface portion of the lens covered by the light shielding element32. In other words, the light shielding elements 32 are respectivelydisposed at the spaces between the lenses for ensuring optical spacing,effective optical aperture, and optical axis consistency between thelenses.

Particularly, in one embodiment, one of the spacing elements 31 ismounted between the first lens 111 and the second lens 112. One of thespacing elements 31 is mounted between the second lens 112 and the thirdlens 113. The light shielding element 32 is mounted between third lens113 and the fourth lens 211. One of the spacing elements 31 is mountedbetween the fourth lens 211 and the fifth lens 212. One of the spacingelements 31 is mounted between the fifth lens 212 and the sixth lens213. Depending on the optical design and configuration of the lens, thedistance between the lenses has different requirements. In oneembodiment, the distance between the first lens 111 and the second lens112 is separated by the spacing element 31, wherein the distance betweenthe first lens 111 and the second lens 112 can be effectively fixed.Likewise, the gap between the fifth lens 212 and the sixth lens 213 ofthe second lens group 20 is fixed by the corresponding spacing element31. For easy discrimination during the assembling operation, the lightshielding element 32 is attached to the top surface of the fourth lens211 by coating. It is worth mentioning that the coating area andthickness of each of the light shielding elements 32 are adjustableaccording to design requirements. Comparing to the conventionaltechniques, the assembling operation of the present invention minimizesdifferent assembling parts and enhancing the stability of the lensinstallation. During the assembling process of the first lens group 10,the first lens 111, the spacing element 31, the second lens 112, and thethird lens 113 are sequentially mounted at the first lens barrel 12 toform the first lens group 10. During the assembling process of thesecond lens group 20, it is only necessary to sequentially mount thefourth lens 211, the fifth lens 212, the spacing element 31, and thesixth lens 213 to the second lens barrel 22 to form the second lens 20.Therefore, at least one spacer in the conventional art will be reducedduring the installation, such as the installation of the spacer betweenthe third lens 113 and the fourth lens 211. It can be understood thatwhen the light shielding element 32 is attached to the surface of thelens, the light shielding element 32 can significantly simplify theinstallation complication of the lens group, reduce the separatingdistance between the lenses, and reduce the height of the lens group.Moreover, the reduction of assembling parts during installation isbeneficial to minimize the tolerances and improve installation accuracy.Particularly, when the first lens group 10 and the second lens group 20are assembled together, the spacing element 31 is not required betweenthe third lens 113 and the fourth lens 211, such that the installationof the first lens group 10 and the second lens group 20 is simplified.Moreover, the light shielding element 32 coated by the fourth lens 211can meet the requirement for the optical design, and the mass productionefficiency of the split lens is greatly promoted.

Certainly, in other embodiments, the light shielding element 32 may bedisposed on a bottom surface of the third lens 113 so as to form thepredetermined light path between the first lens group 10 and the secondlens group 20. It is worth mentioning that the spacing element 31between the other lenses may also be replaced by the light shieldingelement 32.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, thesplit lens further has a retention portion. Accordingly, the first lensbarrel 12 has a first retention portion 120, and the second lens barrel22 has a second retention portion 220. The first retention portion 120and the second retention portion 220 are connected to each other, suchthat the first lens barrel 12 and the second lens barrel 22 areassembled to form an integrated one piece lens structure. The firstretention portion 120 is implemented as a bottom end portion of thefirst lens barrel 12, and the second retention portion 220 isimplemented as a top end portion of the second lens barrel 22. In oneembodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the first retention portion 120 isimplemented as a bottom end portion of the first lens barrel 12 havingan increased diameter thereat. Preferably, the optical axes of thelenses in the first lens barrel 12 and the second lens barrel 22 areuniform and coaxially aligned by the AA (Active Alignment) technique,thereby satisfying the optical design. In one embodiment, the firstretention portion 120 further defines an inner retention surface 121 andan outer retention surface 122, and the second retention portion 220further defines an outer retention surface 222, wherein the outerretention surface 122 is located at a lower edge of the first lensbarrel 12. In other words, the outer retention surface 122 is located onthe bottom surface of the first lens barrel 12, and the outer retentionsurface 222 of the second retention portion 220 is located at the upperedge of the second lens barrel 22. In other words, the outer retentionsurface 222 is located on the top surface of the second lens barrel 22.Thus, the outer retention surface 122 of the first retention portion 120and the outer retention surface 222 of the second retention portion 220can be connected by a connecting element 42. Therefore, the first lensgroup 10 and the second lens group 20 are connected and fixed together.The first inner retention surface 121 is configured to fix the thirdlens 113 to the first lens barrel 12. Preferably, the first retentionportion 120 and the second retention portion 220 are connected togetherby using the connecting element 42 such as a UV thermosetting glue. Theouter retention surface 122 of the first retention portion 120 and theouter retention surface 222 of the second retention portion 220 arecorrespondingly provided on the first lens barrel 12 and the second lensbarrel 22 respectively. By alignedly assembling the outer retentionsurface 122 of the first retention portion 120 and the outer retentionsurface 222 of the second retention portion 220, the first lens barrel12 and the second lens barrel 22 are accurately assembled in the exactposition.

As shown in FIG. 2 , according to a second preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, a split lens according to a second embodimentillustrates a modification of the first embodiment, wherein the splitlens of the second embodiment has the similar structural configurationof the first embodiment. Accordingly, the first lens set 11A of thefirst lens group 10A comprises a first lens 111A, a second lens 112A anda third lens 113A. The second lens set 21A of the second lens group 20Acomprises a fourth lens 211A, a fifth lens 212A and a sixth lens 213A.The first lens 111A, the second lens 112A and the third lens 113A aremounted in the first lens barrel 12A. The fourth lens 211A, the fifthlens 212A and the sixth lens 213A are mounted in the second lens barrel22A.

According to the second preferred embodiment, the split lens comprisesfour spacing elements 31A. The light shielding element 32A is disposedon a top surface of the fourth lens 211A of the second lens group 20A.In other words, the four spacing elements 31A and one light shieldingelement 32A constitute the light shielding assembly 30A to collectivelyform a predetermined light path for the split lens. It is worthmentioning that each of the spacing elements 31A has an annular shapeand is made of opaque material. In other words, the spacing elements 31Aand the light shielding elements 32A of the light shielding assembly 30Aare respectively placed at intervals of the lenses, thereby ensuringoptical separation between the lenses, effective light aperture andconsistency of the optical axis. One of the spacing elements 31A of thelight shielding assembly 30A is disposed between the first lens 111A andthe second lens 112A. One of the spacing elements 31A is disposedbetween the second lens 112A and the third lens 113A. One of the spacingelements 31A is disposed between the fourth lens 211A and the fifth lens212A. One of the spacing elements 31A is disposed between the fifth lens212A and the sixth lens 213A. The light shielding element 32A isdisposed between the third lens 113A and the fourth lens 211A. Dependingon the optical design of the lens configuration, the distancerequirements between the lenses are different. In the second embodiment,the distance between the first lens 111A and the second lens 112A isseparated by the corresponding spacing element 31A, wherein the distancebetween the first lens 111A and the second lens 112A is fixed.Similarly, the spacing between the other lenses are also ensured by thespacing elements 31A or the light shielding element 32A.

In the second preferred embodiment, the assembling relationship betweenthe first lens group 10A and the second lens group 20A is configured byconnecting the first outer retention surface 122A of the first lensbarrel 12A with the second retention portion 222A of the second lensbarrel 22A. Preferably, the first outer retention surface 122A isdefined at an outer side of the bottom portion of the first lens barrel12A, and the second outer retention surface 222A is defined at the topsurface of the second lens barrel 11A. Therefore, the outer retentionsurface 122A of the first retention portion 120A and the outer retentionsurface 222A of the second retention portion 220A can be connected bythe connecting element 42A in order to connect the first lens group 10Aand the second lens group 20A with each other. In other words, the outerside surface of the first lens barrel 12A of the first lens group 10Aand the top surface of the second lens barrel 22A of the second lensgroup 20A are mounted together by the connecting element 42A. The firstinner retention surface 121A is configured to affix the third lens 113Ato the first lens barrel 12A. Preferably, the connecting element 42A forconnecting the first retention portion 120A and the second retentionportion 220A is UV thermosetting glue. According to the secondembodiment, the peripheral edge of the first lens barrel 11A is smallerthan the second lens barrel 22A, such that the first outer retentionsurface 122A of the first lens barrel 12A and the second retentionportions 222A of the second lens barrel 22A are stably connected.

It is worth mentioning that when the light shielding element 32C isconfigured to dispose between two adjacent lenses, the light shieldingelement 32C can be attached at the bottom surface of the lens at theupper position, or at the top surface of the lens at the bottomposition. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, one of the light shieldingelements 32C is configured to be disposed between the first lens 111Cand the second lens 112C, wherein the light shielding element 32C can beattached to the bottom surface of the first lens 111C or attached to thetop surface of the second lens 112C. One of the light shielding elements32C is configured to dispose between the second lens 112C and the thirdlens 113C, wherein the light shielding element 32 can be attached to abottom surface of the second lens 112C or attached to a top surface ofthe third lens 113C. One of the light shielding elements 32C isconfigured to dispose between the fourth lens 211C and the fifth lens212C, wherein the light shielding element 32 can be attached to thebottom surface of the fourth lens 211C, or attached to the top surfaceof the fifth lens 212C. One of the light shielding elements 32C isconfigured to dispose between the fifth lens 212C and the sixth lens213C, wherein the light shielding element 32 can be attached to a bottomsurface of the fifth lens 212C or attached a top surface of the sixthlens 213C. As shown in FIG. 4A, the light shielding elements 32C arerespectively disposed on the bottom surface of the first lens 111C, thebottom surface of the second lens 112C, the bottom surface of the thirdlens 113C, the bottom surface of the fourth lens 211C, and the bottomsurface and the bottom surface of the fifth lens 212C as an example. Itshould not be limited in the present invention and the shieldingelements 32C can be attached to different surfaces of the lens withdifferent combinations.

FIG. 3 illustrates a split lens according to a third preferredembodiment of the present invention similar to that of the firstpreferred embodiment. In other words, the first lens set 11B of thefirst lens group 10B comprises a first lens 111B, a second lens 112B,and a third lens 113B. The second lens set 21B of the second lens group20B comprises a fourth lens 211B, a fifth lens 212B, and a sixth lens213B. The first lens 111B, the second lens 112B, and the third lens 113Bare mounted in the first lens barrel 12B. The fourth lens 211B, thefifth lens 212B, and the sixth lens 213B are mounted in the second lensbarrel 22B.

According to the third preferred embodiment, the light shieldingassembly 30B preferably comprises four spacing elements 31B and a lightshielding element 32B. It is worth mentioning that each of the spacingelements 31B has an annular shape and is made of opaque material. Thelight shielding element 32B is applied to the surface of the lens, suchas by coating, wherein since the light shielding element 32B is made ofopaque material, the light shielding element 32B will block the lightfrom passing through the surface portion of the lens covered by thelight shielding element 32B. In other words, the spacing elements 31Band the light shielding element 32B of the light shielding assembly 30Bare respectively placed at intervals of the lenses to ensure opticalspacing between the lenses, effective apertures, and optical axisuniformity. One of the spacing elements 31B is disposed between thefirst lens 111B and the second lens 112B. One of the spacing elements31B is disposed between the second lens 112B and the third lens 113. Thelight shielding element 32B is disposed between the third lens 113 andthe fourth lens 211B. One of the spacing elements 31B is disposedbetween the fourth lens 211B and the fifth lens 212B. One of the spacingelements 31B is disposed between the fifth lens 212B and the sixthlenses 213B. According to the optical design of the lens configuration,the distance requirements between the lenses can be different.

It is worth mentioning that the light shielding element 32B is coated onthe top surface of the fourth lens 211B. The coating area and thicknessof the light shielding element 32B can be processed and configuredaccording to the lens design requirements. Comparing to the conventionaltechniques, the present invention minimizes the assembling part betweentwo lens groups. When assembling the first lens group 10B, the firstlens 111B, one of the spacing elements 31B, the second lens 112B,another spacing element 31B, and the third lens 113B are sequentiallymounted to the first lens barrel 12B. When assembling the second lensgroup 10B, the fourth lens 211B, one of the spacing elements 31B, thefifth lens 212B, another spacing element 31B, and the sixth lens 213Bare sequentially mounted in the second lens barrel 22B. It can be seenthat the installation of the spacer in the conventional technology isreduced. Furthermore, the use of the light shielding element 32B cansignificantly reduce the assembling difficulty of the lens group. Thelight shielding element 32B can be disposed on the top or bottom surfaceof the lens as desired for different optical designs. Accordingly, whenthe first lens group 10B and the second lens group 20B are assembledtogether, there is no need to consider other factors between the thirdlens 113B and the fourth lens 211B, such that the installationdifficulty between the first lens group 10B and the second lens group20B will be reduced. Moreover, the light shielding element 32B having anannular shape is coated on the fourth lens 211B to ensure the conditionsrequired for optical design.

According to the third embodiment, preferably, the connection betweenthe lens barrels is permanently coupled with each other to form thesplit lens. The outer retention surface 122B is defined at an outer sideof the bottom portion of the first lens barrel 12B, and the outerretention surface 222B of the second retention portion 220B is definedat an inner side of the top portion of the second lens barrel 22B. Thesecond lens barrel 22B further has a retention groove 223B formed at aninner side thereof. Particularly, the retention groove 223B is formed ata top portion of the second lens barrel 22B, wherein the retentiongroove 223B is formed with an annular shape. In other words, theretention groove 223B is formed at an inner opening rim of the secondlens barrel 22B. The retention groove 223B has an inner diametergradually increased from the second lens group 20B toward the first lensgroup 10B. The diameter size of the retention groove 223B is configuredcorresponding to the first outer retention surface 122B of the firstlens barrel 12B, such that the first lens barrel 12B fits in the secondlens barrel 22B to contact the first outer retention surface 122B of thefirst barrel 12B with the retention groove 223B while the connectingelement 42B fills at the gap within the retention groove 223B to mountthe first outer retention surface 122B of the first barrel 12B.Accordingly, the outer retention surface 122B of the first retentionportion 120B and the outer retention surface 222B of the secondretention portion 220B can be connected by the connecting element 42B inorder to connect the first lens group 10B and the second lens group 20Bwith each other. Moreover, the formation of the retention groove 223Bcan prevent excessive connecting element 42B, such as liquid glue, frombeing excessively applied to enter into the interior of the second lensbarrel 22B. The formation of the retention groove 223B will provide apositioning alignment to reduce the assembling time to mount the firstouter retention surface 122B at the second lens barrel 22B, and toensure an accuracy assembling position of the second lens group 20B tothe first group 10B. In other words, the first lens barrel 12B has areduced bottom end diameter to fit at the top end of the second lensbarrel 22B, such that by applying the glue via active calibrationprocess, no light can enter into the split lens through the sidethereof.

It is worth mentioning that if the light shielding element 32B isreplaced by the conventional spacer, the diameter of the spacer isgenerally smaller than the diameter of the second lens barrel 22B,wherein the spacer is retained and sandwiched between two adjacentlenses. When it cannot be clamped between two adjacent two lenses, it isnecessary to clamp and fix between the fourth lens 211B and the innerside of the outer retention surface 222B of the second retention portion220B of the second lens barrel 22B, so as to fit between two adjacentlenses. Since the outer retention surface 222B can only provide arelatively small clamping and bearing area, the spacer cannot be stablyfixed. Thus, the spacer is easy to be deformed. Therefore, when thesecond lens group 20B is assembled in an upside down position, thespacer is easily deformed. When any external force is applied to thespacer, such as during the cleaning process, the spacer is easy to falloff. According to the present invention, the light shielding element 32Bis attached to the top surface of the fourth lens 222B, such that theouter retention surface 222B is not required to provide the mountingabutment surface, and is more suitable for being altered and configuredin the structure of the split lens.

Preferably, through the active calibration technique, the lenses in thefirst lens barrel 12B and the second lens barrel 22B are ensured to havea uniform optical axes are uniform to enhance the optical design. Whenthe first lens group 10B and the second lens group 20B are assembledtogether, the outer retention surface 122B of the first retentionportion 120B and the outer retention surface 222B of the secondretention portion 220B are directly assembled correspondingly. The firstlens barrel 12B and the second lens barrel 22B can be accuratelyassembled in an exact position with each other and affixed by a glueconnection in the retention groove 223B.

FIG. 4 illustrates a split lens according to a fourth preferredembodiment of the present invention, wherein the split lens of thefourth embodiment is constructed to have two lens groups as an example.The first lens set 11C of the first lens group 10C comprises a firstlens 111C, a second lens 112C, and a third lens 113C. The second lensset 21C of the second lens group 20C comprises a fourth lens 211C, afifth lens 212C and a sixth lens 213C. The first lens 111C, the secondlens 112C and the third lens 113C are mounted in the first lens barrel12C. The fourth lens 211C, the fifth lens 212C and the sixth lens 213Care mounted in the second lens barrel 22C.

According to the fourth embodiment, the light shielding assembly 30Ccomprises five shielding elements 32A. It is worth mentioning that thelight shielding elements 32C are coated on the bottom surfaces of thelenses, wherein each of the light shielding elements 32C is made of anopaque material to prevent light from passing through the surfaceportion of the lens covered by the light shielding element 32C. In otherwords, the light shielding elements 32C are respectively disposed atintervals of the lenses for ensuring an optical separation between thelenses, effective light aperture and consistency of the optical axis.Accordingly, the first light shielding element 32C is disposed betweenthe first lens 111C and the second lens 112C. The second light shieldingelement 32C is disposed between the second lens 112C and the third lens113C. The third light shielding element 32C is disposed between thethird lens 113C and the fourth lens 211C. The fourth light shieldingelement 32C is disposed between the fourth lens 211C and the fifth lens212C. The fifth light shielding element 32C is disposed between thefifth lens 212C and the sixth lens 213C. Therefore, when the lenses aremounted to the lens barrels, the mounting direction can be directlyguided and determined based on the positions of the light shieldingelements 32C. Moreover, the light shielding element 32C fulfills therequirement of the light passing aperture between the lenses accordingto the optical design of the lens structure.

Accordingly, the coating area and thickness of each of the lightshielding elements 32C are adjustable according to design requirements.Comparing to the conventional techniques, the assembling operation ofthe two lens groups minimizes any assembling part therebetween. When thefirst lens group 10C is assembled, the first lens 111C, the second lens112C, and the third lens 113C are configured to be sequentially mountedto the first lens barrel 12C. When the second lens group 20C isassembled, the fourth lens 211C, the fifth lens 212C, and the sixth lens213C are configured to be sequentially mounted to the second lens barrel22C. The installation of the spacer in the conventional technology isomitted. It can be seen that the use of the light shielding element 32Ccan significantly simplify the mounting process and reduce the mountingdifficulty of the lens groups. Moreover, the amount of the lightshielding element 32C applied to the bottom surface of the lens is lessthan the amount of the light shielding element 32C applied to the topsurface of the lens. However, the light shielding effect of the lightshielding element 32C is the same between the top and bottom surfaces ofthe lens. Thus, when the first lens group 10C and the second lens group20C are assembled together, there is no need to consider other factorsbetween the lenses, such that the installation between the first lensgroup 10C and the second lens group 20C is easier. Moreover, the lightshielding element 32C coated at the third lens 113C can fulfill theconditional requirement for the optical design, and the productiondifficulty level and cost will effectively reduce.

According to the fourth embodiment, the assembling relationship betweenthe first lens group 10C and the second lens group 20C is configured byconnecting the outer retention surface 122C of the first lens barrel 12Cand the outer retention surface 222C of the second lens barrel 22C. Itis worth mentioning that the outer retention surface 122C is extended atan outer surface of the first lens barrel 12C to form a protrusion at abottom lateral side of the retention portion 120C of the first lensbarrel 12C corresponding to the second outer retention surface 222C. Inthe fourth embodiment, the first retention portion 120C is not extendedat the bottom end portion of the first lens barrel 12C but is protrudedfrom the outer side of the first lens barrel 12C.

Preferably, the outer retention surface 122C is configured to protrudeon the first retention portion 120C of the first lens barrel 12C,wherein the outer retention surface 222C is configured at the topsurface of the second lens barrel 11C, such that the first lens barrel12C is supported by the second outer retention surface 222C.Accordingly, the outer retention surface 122C of the first retentionportion 120C and the outer retention surface 222C of the secondretention portion 220C are connected by the connecting element 42C inorder to connect the first lens group 10C and the second lens group 20Cwith each other. Accordingly, the first inner retention surface 121C isconfigured to affix the third lens 113C to the first lens barrel 12C. Inthe fourth embodiment, the periphery of the first lens barrel 11C issmaller than the periphery of the second lens barrel 22C, such that thefirst outer retention surface 122C of the first lens barrel 12C isstably supported by the second retention portion 220C of the second lensbarrel 22C. The first outer retention surface 122C of the first lensbarrel 12C is configured to shorten the width of the first lens barrel12C as a whole comparing to the first preferred embodiment.

FIG. 4B illustrates an alternative mode of the split lens according tothe fourth preferred embodiment. In this alternative mode, the lightshielding element 32C is disposed on the bottom surface of the thirdlens 113C, while the spacing elements 31C are disposed at otherpositions, such as between the first lens 111C and the second lens 112C,between the second lens 112C and the third lens 113C, between the fourthlens 211C and the fifth lens 212C, and between the fifth lens 212C andthe sixth lens 213C.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , a split lens of a fifth embodimentillustrates another modification of the first embodiment. The first lensset 11D of the first lens group 10D comprises a first lens 111D, asecond lens 112D, and a third lens 113D. The second lens set 21D of thesecond lens group 20D comprises a fourth lens 211D, a fifth lens 212Dand a sixth lens 213D. Accordingly, it should be understood that thenumber of lenses in the first lens group 11D and the second lens group21D should not limit in the present invention, and the number of lensescan be varied according to the requirements of different camera modules.For easy understanding, the first lens 111D, the second lens 112D, andthe third lens 113D are mounted in the first lens barrel 12D, while thefourth lens 211D, the fifth lens 212D and the sixth lens 213D aremounted in the second barrel 22D.

In addition, the light shielding assembly 30D further comprises at leastone spacing structure. In the fifth embodiment, the spacing structurepreferably comprises four spacing elements 31D and one light shieldingelement 32D. It is worth mentioning that each of the spacing elements31D has an annular shape and is made of opaque material. The lightshielding element 32D, having an annular shape and is made of opaquematerial, is coated on the surface of the lens to prevent light frompassing through the surface portion of the lens covered by the lightshielding element 32D. In other words, the spacing elements 31D and thelight shielding element 32D of the light shielding assembly 30D arerespectively disposed at intervals of the lenses for ensuring opticalseparation between the lenses, effective light aperture and consistencyof the optical axis. Accordingly, one of spacing elements 31D isdisposed between the first lens 111D and the second lens 112D. One ofspacing elements 31D is disposed between the second lens 112D and thethird lens 11D3. The light shielding element 32D is disposed between thethird lens 113D and the fourth lens 211D. One of spacing elements 31D isdisposed between the fourth lens 211D and the fifth lens 212D. One ofspacing elements 31D is disposed between the fifth lens 212D and thesixth lens 213D. Depending on the optical design and configuration ofthe lens, the distance between the lenses has different requirements.According to the fifth embodiment, the distance between the first lens111D and the second lens 112D is separated by the spacing element 31D,wherein the distance between the first lens 111D and the second lens112D can be effectively fixed. Likewise, the spacing elements 31Dfurther retain and ensure the distance between the second lens 112D andthe third lens 113D of the first lens group 10D, the distance betweenthe fourth lens 211D and the fifth lens 212D of the second lens group20D, and the distance between the fifth lens 212D and the sixth lens213D. For easy discrimination during the assembling operation, the lightshielding element 32D is attached to the top surface of the fourth lens211D by coating. It is worth mentioning that the coating area andthickness of each of the light shielding elements 32D are adjustableaccording to design requirements. Comparing to the conventionaltechniques, the assembling operation of the present invention minimizesdifferent assembling parts. During the assembling process of the firstlens group 10D, the first lens 111D, the spacing element 31D, the secondlens 112D, another spacing element 31D, and the third lens 113D aresequentially mounted at the first lens barrel 12D to form the first lensgroup 10D. During the assembling process of the second lens group 20D,it is only necessary to sequentially mount the fourth lens 211D, thespacing element 31D, the fifth lens 212D, another spacing element 31D,and the sixth lens 213D to the second lens barrel 22D to form the secondlens 20D. Therefore, the spacer in the conventional art will be reducedduring the installation. It can be understood that when the lightshielding element 32D is attached to the surface of the lens, the lightshielding element 32D can significantly simplify the installationcomplication of the lens group, reduce the separating distance betweenthe lenses, and reduce the height of the lens group. Moreover, thereduction of assembling parts during installation will beneficial tominimize the tolerances and improve installation accuracy. Particularly,when the first lens group 10D and the second lens group 20D areassembled together, no component such spacer or the spacing element 31,is required between the third lens 113D and the fourth lens 211D, suchthat the installation of the first lens group 10D and the second lensgroup 20D will be simplified. Moreover, the light shielding element 32Dcoated by the fourth lens 211D can meet the requirement for the opticaldesign, and the mass production efficiency of the split lens is greatlypromoted.

Furthermore, the split lens further comprises a retention portion.Accordingly, the first lens barrel 12D has a first retention portion120D, and the second lens barrel 22D has a second retention portion220D. The first retention portion 120D and the second retention portion220D are connected to each other, such that the first lens barrel 12Dand the second lens barrel 22D are assembled to form an integratedone-piece lens structure. Preferably, the optical axes of the lenses inthe first lens barrel 12D and the second lens barrel 22D are uniform andcoaxially aligned by the AA (Active Alignment) technique, therebysatisfying the optical design. In the fifth embodiment, the firstretention portion 120D further defines an inner retention surface 121Dand an outer retention surface 122D. The second retention portion 220Dfurther defines an outer retention surface 222D and a retention groove223D. The first inner retention surface 121D is configured to affix thethird lens 113D to the first lens barrel 12D. It is worth mentioningthat the first retention portion 120D is extended from an outer surfacethe first lens barrel 12D to protrude from the bottom side thereof,wherein the first retention portion 120D is protruded from the firstlens barrel 12D to receive at the retention groove 223D of the secondlens barrel 22D. According to the fifth embodiment, the assemblingrelationship between the first lens group 10D and the second lens group20D is configured by connecting the first outer retention surface 122Dof the first lens barrel 12D with the second retention portion 222D ofthe second lens barrel 22D. Preferably, the first outer retentionsurface 122D is defined at an outer side of the first lens barrel 12Dand protruded from the bottom portion thereof, and the retention groove223D is defined at the top surface of the second lens barrel 11A, so asto affix the first lens barrel 12D at the second outer retention surface222D. Accordingly, the outer retention surface 122D of the firstretention portion 120D and the outer retention surface 222D of thesecond retention portion 220D can be connected by the connecting element42D in order to connect the first lens group 10D and the second lensgroup 20D with each other. Particularly, the first retention portion122D is securely affixed in the retention groove 223D by using aconnecting glue, in order to directly affix the outer retention surface122D of the first retention portion 120D to the retention groove 223D ofthe second retention portion 220D. Therefore, the first lens barrel 12Dand the second lens barrel 22D can be accurately assembled in an exactposition with each other. Preferably, the connecting element 42D forconnecting the first retention portion 120D and the second retentionportion 220D is UV thermosetting glue.

Therefore, the outer retention surface 122D of the first retentionportion 120D and the retention groove 223D of the second retentionportion 220D are connected by the connecting element 42D so as toconnect the first lens group 10D and the second lens group 20D together.Accordingly, the first inner fixing surface 121D is configured to affixthe third lens 113D at the first lens barrel 12D. In the fifthembodiment, the periphery of the first lens barrel 11D is smaller thanthe periphery of the second lens barrel 22D, such that the first outerretention surface 122D of the first barrel 12D is stably supported bythe second retention portion 222D of the retention lens barrel 22D. Thefirst outer retention surface 122D of the first lens barrel 12D isconfigured to shorten the width of the first lens barrel 12D as a wholecomparing to the first preferred embodiment. Moreover, the retentiongroove 223D can prevent excessive connection element 42D, such as liquidglue, from entering the interior of the first barrel 12D and the secondbarrel 22D. The formation of the retention groove 223D will provide apositioning alignment to reduce the assembling time to mount the firstouter retention surface 122D at the second lens barrel 22D, and toensure an accuracy assembling position of the second lens group 20D tothe first group 10D.

As shown in FIG. 6 , during the assembling operation, the first lens111D, the spacing element 31D, the second lens 112D, another spacingelement 31D, and the third lens 113D are firstly mounted to the firstlens barrel 12D. When assembling the second lens group 20D, the fourthlens 211D, the spacing element 31D, the fifth lens 212D, another spacingelement 31D, and the sixth lens 213D are sequentially mounted to thesecond lens barrel 22D. When assembling the first lens group 10D withthe second lens group 20D, the first retention portion 122D is affixedat the retention groove 223D by applying the connecting element 42Dthereat. Therefore, the outer retention surface 122D of the firstretention portion 120D can be directly engaged with the retention groove223D of the second retention portion 220D, such that the first lensbarrel 12D and the second lens barrel 22D can be accurately assembled inan exact position with each other. Then, the first lens group 10D andthe second lens group 20D can be finally assembled after the activecalibration.

FIG. 7 illustrates a camera module incorporating with the split lens,wherein the camera module is an auto focus camera module as an example.The camera module comprises the split lens 1, a driver 2, a circuitboard 3, a base unit 4, and a photosensitive unit 5, wherein the splitlens 1 is mounted to the driver 2 for providing an autofocus feature.The driver 2 and the photosensitive unit 5 are electrically connected tothe circuit board 3 respectively. The base unit 4 is configured forsupporting the driver 2 and accommodating the photosensitive unit 5.Accordingly, an image is formed via a photoelectric conversion whenlight passes through the split lens 1 to the photosensitive unit 5.Correspondingly, a filter 6, such as an infrared filter or a blue glassfilter, can be disposed between the split lens 1 and the photosensitiveunit 5 for filtering the light before entering to the photosensitiveunit 5.

During the assembling process, in addition to the first lens group ofthe split lens 1, other components of the camera module are assembled.Then, through the active calibration process, the installation positionof the first lens group can be accurately determined and fixed to formthe camera module. Particularly, the photosensitive unit 5 iselectrically connected to the circuit board 3. The base unit 4 ismounted or integrally formed on the circuit board 3. The driver 2 ismounted to the base unit 4 and is electrically connected to the circuitboard 3. Accordingly, the second lens group of the split lens 1 ismounted to the driver 2, and then the first lens group is pre-assembledwith the second lens group. Through the active calibration process, theimaging quality is analyzed to determine possible errors such as offsetor tilt position of the first lens group. Thus, once the position of thefirst lens group is controllably adjusted to obtain a desired imagingquality of the camera module, the first lens group and the second lensgroup are assembled together.

Through the active calibration process, the connecting element may beapplied to complete the pre-assembling of the first lens group and thesecond lens group. After the position of the first lens group isdetermined and set, the connecting element is completely cured, such assolidified, to complete the connection between the first lens group andthe second lens group. Alternatively, after determining the position ofthe first lens group, the connecting element is applied and fully cured,such that the first lens group and the second lens group are formed tobe an integrated one piece lens structure.

FIG. 8 illustrates another type of camera module incorporating with thesplit lens, wherein the camera module is a fixed focus camera module asan example. The camera module comprises the split lens 1, a circuitboard 3, a light reflective mount 6, and a photosensitive unit 5. Thesplit lens 1 is mounted to the light reflective mount 6 having a mirrorsurface. The photosensitive unit 5 is electrically connected to thecircuit board 3. The light reflective mount 6 is configured forsupporting the split lens 1 and accommodating the photosensitive unit 5.Accordingly, an image is formed via a photoelectric conversion whenlight passes through the split lens 1 to the photosensitive unit 5.Correspondingly, a filter 6, such as an infrared filter or a blue glassfilter, can be disposed between the split lens 1 and the photosensitiveunit 5 for filtering the light before entering to the photosensitiveunit 5. Similarly, the first lens group of the split lens 1 can beassembled with the second lens group by the active calibration processto form an integral lens structure so as to form the camera module.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the camera module 100 can be applied to anelectronic apparatus 200, such as not limited to a smart phone, awearable device, a computer device, a television, a vehicle, a camera, amonitoring device, and the like. The electronic apparatus 200 comprisesan electronic device body 201. The camera module 100 is mounted on theelectronic device body 201 and connected to the control board thereof,wherein the camera module 100 cooperates with the electronic device body201 to complete image collection and reproduction.

One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of thepresent invention as shown in the drawings and described above isexemplary only and not intended to be limiting. It will thus be seenthat the objects of the present invention have been fully andeffectively accomplished. The embodiments have been shown and describedfor the purposes of illustrating the functional and structuralprinciples of the present invention and is subject to change withoutdeparture from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes allmodifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the followingclaims.

1-28. (canceled)
 29. A split lens, comprising: at least a first lensgroup comprising at least a first lens set and a first lens barrel,wherein said first lens set is mounted in said first lens barrel; atleast a second lens group comprising at least a second lens set and asecond lens barrel, wherein said second lens set is mounted in saidsecond lens barrel; and at least a light shielding element disposedbetween said first lens set and said second lens set to form apredetermined light path between said first lens group and said secondlens group when said first lens group and said second lens group arefixed together.
 30. The split lens, as recited in claim 29, wherein saidfirst lens barrel further comprises a first retention portion formed ata bottom end portion of said first lens barrel, and said second lensbarrel further comprises a second retention portion formed at a top endportion of said second lens barrel, wherein said first retention portionand said second retention portion are connected with each other, suchthat said first lens barrel and said second lens barrel are fixed toform an integrated lens configuration.
 31. The split lens, as recited inclaim 30, wherein a diameter of said bottom end portion of said firstlens barrel is smaller than a diameter of said top end portion of saidsecond lens barrel, such that said first retention portion of said firstlens barrel is configured to fit into said second retention portion ofsaid second lens barrel so as to fix said first lens barrel and saidsecond lens barrel.
 32. The split lens, as recited in claim 30, furthercomprising a connecting element, wherein said first retention portion ofsaid first lens barrel is adhered with said second retention portion ofsaid second lens barrel by said connecting element.
 33. The split lens,as recited in claim 30, further comprising a connecting element, whereinsaid second lens barrel further has a retention groove formed at a topside of said second lens barrel corresponding to said first retentionportion of said first lens barrel, wherein said connecting element isfilled in said retention groove to couple said first retention portionand said second retention portion with each other.
 34. The split lens,as recited in claim 30, wherein the first retention portion defines afirst inner retention surface and a first outer retention surface, andthe second retention portion defines a second outer retention surface,and the first outer retention surface is located at a lower edge of thefirst lens barrel, and the second outer retention surface is located atan upper edge of the second lens barrel.
 35. The split lens, as recitedin claim 34, wherein the first outer retention surface of said firstretention portion is adhesively affixed to a top side of said secondretention portion.
 36. The split lens, as recited in claim 30, whereinsaid first retention portion is protruded from an outer lateral side ofsaid first lens barrel, wherein said first retention portion and saidsecond retention portion are connected with each other at a positionthat said bottom end portion of said first lens barrel is extended intosaid second retention portion for connecting said first lens barrel andsaid second lens barrel with each other.
 37. The split lens, as recitedin claim 36, wherein said bottom side of said first retention portion isbonded to a top lateral side of said second retention portion byadhesive.
 38. The split lens, as recited in claim 36, wherein saidretention groove is formed at said top side of said second retentionportion for accommodating at least one connecting element to bond saidsecond retention portion with said first retention portion.
 39. Thesplit lens, as recited in claim 29, wherein said second lens setcomprises two or more lens, and one of said light shielding elements isdisposed on a top surface of said lens at an upper position of saidsecond lens set.
 40. The split lens, as recited in claim 39, whereinsaid first lens set comprises two or more lens, and said light shieldingelements are disposed at bottom surfaces of said lens in said first lensset and top surfaces of said lens in said second lens set respectively.41. The split lens, as recited in claim 29, wherein at least one of saidlight shielding elements is disposed between two adjacent lenses whichare located at said first lens group and said second lens grouprespectively.
 42. The split lens, as recited in claim 41, wherein saidtwo adjacent lenses are configured as an upper lens and a bottom lensrespectively, wherein said light shielding element is disposed on abottom surface of said upper lens or a top surface of said bottom lens.43. The split lens, as recited in claim 29, further comprising at leastone spacing element disposed between two lenses of at least one of saidfirst lens set and said second lens set.
 44. The split lens, as recitedin claim 29, wherein said light shielding element has an annular shapeand is made of opaque material applied on a surface portion of a lens ofone of said first lens set and said second lens set for blocking lightfrom passing through said surface portion of said lens covered by saidlight shielding element.
 45. A camera module, comprising: said lenssplit as in claim 29, and at least one photosensitive unit, wherein animage is formed via a photoelectric conversion when light passes throughsaid split lens to said photosensitive unit.
 46. The camera module, asrecited in claim 45, which is an auto focus camera or a fixed focuscamera.
 47. An electronic apparatus, comprising: at least one electronicdevice body; and one or more of said camera modules as in claim 45disposed on said electronic device body.
 48. The electronic apparatus,as recited in claim 47 wherein said electronic apparatus is a smartphone, a wearable device, a computer device, a television, a vehicle, acamera, or a monitoring device.